Language proficiency in English speaking countries is falling. It is only recently that eBooks have taken off and people have gone back to reading pages of words in grammatically correct sentences. Even the new wave of e-reading is under threat as computer users transform the written word into the spoken word with software. A classic book can now be listened to on the way to and from work.

Though texting is decreasing in popularity it is partially responsible for the failure of young people to learn correct spelling and grammar. Even dictionaries have a problem is choosing whether to cover words that are phonetically clear but are not accepted generally by the majority of writers. If such words become very popular, dictionary creators will have no choice but to include them.

The problem with language is highlighted by the strange and funny errors seen in newspapers because proofreaders are no longer employed. One sees words such "betterest' and phrases like "Thats there job". Obviously, many reporters just do not know correct spelling and grammar. How did they possibly get their degrees in journalism? It even goes further than this: the majority of teachers cannot write acceptable sentences. Pupils have nothing to learn from them.

The rot started with the spread of calculators. Children no longer had to learn to do adding, multiplication. division and subtraction. Learning mathematical tables by rote is not done anymore. It seems that new technology makes oral communication so dominant that the "art" of writing messages can be ignored. This makes learning correct written expression irrelevant.